KMM Enhances Entertainment Labor Practice with Veteran Attorney Kevin D. Ellman

The law firm KM&M has strengthened its entertainment labor practice with the addition of Kevin D. Ellman as Of Counsel, bringing over two decades of senior-level experience from influential media companies including Paramount Global and The Walt Disney Company. Ellman's practice combines labor strategy with hands-on leadership in business and legal affairs, enabling him to deliver integrated counsel that aligns labor relations, business objectives, and legal risk management. His approach is shaped by years of executive decision-making at the highest levels of the entertainment industry, making him particularly valuable as companies navigate complex labor challenges in traditional and digital media.

Ellman joins KM&M following his tenure as Senior Vice President of Labor Relations at Paramount Media Networks, where he oversaw labor relations and developed strategy across traditional and digital exhibition platforms, business units, studio operations, and corporate facilities. He has successfully negotiated collective bargaining agreements, resolved union grievances, led management responses to union organizing efforts, and provided strategic labor counsel across complex, cross-functional operations. This experience is crucial as entertainment companies face increasing labor organization efforts and must balance creative needs with operational realities in an industry undergoing rapid transformation.

Prior to his role at Paramount, Ellman served as Senior Vice President of Business & Legal Affairs at Viacom Media Networks and as Vice President of Business Affairs at Disney/ABC Television Group, overseeing business and legal matters for major global entertainment franchises and exhibition platforms. His broad experience spans animated and live-action content for television, streaming, and theatrical release; content licensing and distribution; commercials, endorsements, and social media campaigns; consumer products; live entertainment including concert tours, theme park attractions, and live broadcast events; podcast production; video games; music composition, recording, licensing, and distribution; employment of minors in entertainment; and the application of emerging technologies in media, including artificial intelligence.

Bill Zuckerman, KM&M's Managing Partner and Entertainment Group Leader, emphasized the value of Ellman's perspective, stating that he understands both the legal framework of labor relations and business affairs as well as the operational realities and pressures facing media companies today. This combination of expertise is particularly important as entertainment companies navigate the intersection of traditional labor practices with emerging technologies and distribution models. Ellman's experience with artificial intelligence applications in media adds another dimension to his counsel at a time when AI is transforming content creation and distribution.

The addition of Ellman enhances KM&M's ability to serve entertainment clients facing complex labor challenges in an industry where traditional boundaries between media formats are dissolving. His experience across multiple major media companies provides him with a comprehensive understanding of industry standards and best practices, while his hands-on leadership experience enables practical, operationally-informed counsel. As entertainment companies increasingly operate across multiple platforms and face evolving labor dynamics, Ellman's integrated approach to labor relations, business objectives, and legal risk management addresses the interconnected nature of modern media operations. More information about the firm is available at https://www.kmm.com.